Frosty scene outside
Brings pleasant glint to my eye.
Satisfying work.
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Written for Ronovan’s Haiku challenge using words “frost” and “glint”
Image: Picture, my window to my back yard.
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Written for Ronovan’s Haiku challenge using words “frost” and “glint”
Image: Picture, my window to my back yard.
I came upon this writing while going through a family scrapbook. I think it is worth a share to others. I have told some members of the writer’s family that I would post it for those who would like to see. It was a long time ago; my mother has written circa 1950 on the envelope. The writer was my great uncle and I will be 87 this week. That’s way back there. He rues the drinking which came between him and his wife. I don’t know whether he overcame his drinking habit. But he remarried, and had more children with whom I am just now beginning an acquaintance via FB. Maybe one of them can tell me whether he beat the drinking habit. I hope so. I have laid paper clips by the paper so you can see what tiny writing. The paper was 2 x 3 1/2 inches.
A SINNER’S MISERY
Oh God, have mercy on a sinner who is too weak, and doesn’t have strength to change his ways. Until he has lost all in this world that is, or was worth living for. I guess its too late now, but it isn’t too late to change my ways.
I have been a coward, a sinner. I have prayed for strength, but my prayers were unanswered, and Satan stepped in and told me a Sinners best friend is the bottle and the Devil. They stayed with me. Satan said, “Go on” while I listened to him, an angel was saying “Fred, don’t do it.” That angel was my own dear wife.
I killed all the love she had for me, for I stood by the Devil and he stood by me. He’d say, “Come have another drink,” and with tears in my eyes I would sometimes think “Why be a coward.” Then satan would say “Come on have some more whiskey/booze. You can’t lose.”
Then I would drive faster and still think it safe, fifty-five and sixty was my speed, I know, when my left wheel hit a bank of snow. Two times I turned over, both times by myself. “No” Satan was with me. I remember quite well. For, he had just said, “Fred, give her hell. The pickup is too slow. You can make sixty and get on ahead.”
Well I was half-past him, when he cut in on me, That’s when I had to take the snowbank, you see. Two men and one girl were in that pickup, turned upside down.
They were drunk. Well what about me? Well, I’ll make one more round, with the bottle by my side, and then I’ll change my ways, and with a preachers pride. And to satan and whisky I’ll say, farewell. For no man wants to dwell in hell.
Then my darling wife may sometime see, it was satan and whisky and not just me. O God, do be kind to the darling of mine, that I caused so miuch sorrow while I was still blind.
The most perfect man can say with a sigh, “no man is without sin not even I.
If God would grant me fifty more years of life. I’d say, instead, just give me two with my wife.
My life work seems ended and when I think why, tears very often come to my eyes, and I cry. I have fought many battles but this is the worst, To think, how I’m frowned on and cursed.
I have promised to do, the best I can do. But they all seem to say, “You Liar, You.”
by Fred
After Betty died, Jake gave me a stack of his writings. I was shocked at this creative side of him. And I was surprised that he was sober and off the couch enough to produce such writings. I’m typing as Jake typed them in all caps on a manual typewriter. Bad spelling but phonetically close. I’m happy to say I no longer feel superior to Jake. He had issues I never had. All I ever had was given to me by God – country, church, friends, teachers, family, people like Jake and Betty. Names have been changed.
A LETTER TO HEAVEN, WRITEN BY JAKE
DEAR BETTY LOU
ONLY GOD IN HEAVEN NOS HOW MUCH I LOVE YOU
AND LITTLEDARLING GOD IN HEVEN NOS I LOVE YOU SO
AND HE NOS HOW MUCH IT BROK MY HEART TO HAFT TO LET YOU GO
MOM LITTLE TOMMY KNOS THAT YOU AR GONE BUT HE DON’T UNDERSTAND WHY
SO HE ASKS ME EVER NIGHT FOR YOU AND HE HUGES ME AND CRY
SO MOM IF YOU CAN LOOK DOWN FROM HEVEN AND SEE A OLD MAN AND A LITTLE BOY THAT IS SAD AND BLUE
MOM THAT IS ME AND LITTLE TOMMY WITHOUT YOU
MOM WE MADE A VOW FORTY ONE A GODEATH O WE PART
AND MOM WE KEEP OUR VOW FOR WE NEW EACH OTHERS HART
MOM WE HAVE A LOVE FOR EACH OTHER THAT WILL NEVER END
AND SUM DAY IN HEVEN OUR NEW LIFE WILL BEGIN
MOM WHILE YOU WAS ON WITH ME HERE ON ARTH I COULDEN NOT GIVE YOU A HOME WITH CHYSTAL SHANDLERS AND BIG BAY WENDER PAINDS
BUT WE ALL WAYS HAD A LITTLE HOME THAT SHALTERED US AND OUR CHILDRERN FROM THE COLD AND RAIN
MOM I NO THAT YOUR LITTLE BODY LAYS IN A COLD DARK GRAVE
BUT OUIR LOERD WILL RAISE IT UP FOR HE HAS HELING IN HIS WING
This is about half of Jake’s letter. He ends with this couplet.
AND MOM WE WILL WALK HAND TO HAND THROUGH OUT GODS LAND
AND HE WILL TAKE US TO A CITY OF FOUR SQUAR
AND ALL OF OUR FRENDS AND LOVE ONES WILL BE WITH US UP THERE.
Jake also wrote many poems inspired by the Bible. A bit of one follows:
THE WOMAN FROM SAMARIA
JESUS THEREFORE BEING WEARIED WITH HIS JOURNEY HE SET UPON JOBS WELL
AND THE WOMAN FROM SAMARIA COME TO DRAW WATER AND OUR LORD HAD A GRATE MESIG TO TEAL
HE TOLD HER OF A WELL OF WATER SPRINGING UP IN TO EVER LASTING LIFE
AND HE SENT HER BACK DOWN TO SAMARIA AND SHE LED MENEY SOLDS TO CHRST.
AND HE TOLD THEM THAT GOD IS NOT A SPITOR OF PERISONS AND IT MAKS NO DEFRINCE IF YOU AR A SAMARIA OR A JUE GOD IS SPIRIT AND HE LOVES YOU
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This will probably be read my some local people who will recognize Betty, Jake, and Tommy. If so, they will be happy to know more about how things turned out for this family. I was given permission to use these writings I wanted to. Most of them I gave back to one of the sons.
Remembering them bring tears as I rejoice in the Love of Jesus for them and for their victory over this earth. Jake’s love. I wonder if the Lord has let Jake mine out some “crystal chandeliers” and install a “big bay window pain” for Betty. Victory!
(follow Jake’s story next time)
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Image: pexels.com
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“Hop in, honey,” said Laura, before driving away.
“Thanks, all’s good.” Cassie answered confidently.
Feeling an empty pocket, she remembered her key and money pouch on the music stand.
Fighting panic, she went to a side door and breathed a sign of relief to find it unlocked. The darkness was overwhelming as she maneuvered the hall from the side door. The stage lit up suddenly. She followed it to her music rack.
Relief became panic as she realized she wasn’t alone. Heart pounding, she stumbled back outside. Thankful but inquisitive, she left remembering “don’t look a gift horse in the mouth.”
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Written for rochelle’s 100 word Picture Prompt challenge, Friday Fictioneers https://rochellewisoff.com/
11He said, “This will be the procedure of the king who will reign over you: he will take your sons and place them for himself in his chariots and among his horsemen and they will run before his chariots. 12“He will appoint for himself commanders of thousands and of fifties, and some to do his plowing and to reap his harvest and to make his weapons of war and equipment for his chariots. 13“He will also take your daughters for perfumers and cooks and bakers. 14“He will take the best of your fields and your vineyards and your olive groves and give them to his servants. 15“He will take a tenth of your seed and of your vineyards and give to his officers and to his servants. 16“He will also take your male servants and your female servants and your best young men and your donkeys and use them for his work. 17“He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his servants. 18“Then you will cry out in that day because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves, but the LORD will not answer you in that day.”
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Image: pexels.com
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PHOTO PROMPT @ Jan Wayne Fields
One hundred word story written for Rochelle’s picture prompt.